By Faye Witherall
Assoc. Feature Editor
Six South Pasadena High School students earned first place prizes in the regional Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) competition at Magic Mountain in Anaheim on Saturday, February 28. The students were among the 26 SPHS members who placed in the top five in their divisions.
The SPHS team competed against those of neighboring high schools, including San Marino High School, Alhambra High School, and 13 other schools, which collectively form the Mission Valley section of FBLA. South Pasadena placed fifth overall in the competition.
“The competition was really enjoyable,” junior Alyssa Schwantner said, who placed third in the Sports & Entertainment Marketing Team division. “It’s really great to bond with other members of the Mission Valley who I don’t see on a daily basis.”
The first portion of the two-part competition took place Saturday, February 21, and covered oral presentations, while the second portion focused on written tests. The statewide FBLA competition will take place from April 9 to 12 in Santa Clara.
List of South Pasadena FBLA members who placed in the top five in their respective divisions:
1st – Computer Problem Solving – Jerry Shen
1st – Team Management Decision Making – Jacob Benowitz; Jake McCurdy
1st – Entrepreneurship – Nayad Salim; Tim Wong; Kelly Xing
2nd – Marketing Team – Nayad Salim; Iszzy Sun; Tim Wong
2nd – Insurance & Risk Management – Richard Ruan
2nd – Cybersecurity – Jerry Shen
3rd – Sports & Entertainment Marketing Team – Noelle Cho; Brittany Jarjour; Alyssa Schwantner
3rd – Hospitality Management Team – Brittany Jarjour; Skyler Ramirez
3rd – Global Business Team – Aaron Ogita; Richard Ruan
3rd – Public Speaking I – Skyler Ramirez
3rd – Public Speaking II – Jacob Benowitz
3rd – Introduction to Business – Grace Kim
4th – Business Math – Jae Jin Lee
4th – Economics – Grace Kim
4th – Impromptu Speaking – Denise Huang
4th – Introduction to Business – Alex Fonseca
5th – Business Communication – Helen Yang
